A high price is all that separated Eddie Royal from another season with the Chargers.

It doesn't anymore.

The veteran wide receiver has agreed to a contract restructure, sources said Monday, ensuring his place on the 2014 roster. Royal was previously set to earn $4.5 million in base salary with a $6 million cap number. Both numbers have been lowered. The salary was reduced to a fully guaranteed total, and performance incentives were added to help make up the difference.

Last season was the second in Royal's three-year deal.

The Chargers never wanted it to be his last.

He showed toughness, for months not practicing because of turf toe. While the brunt of his season was spent in a protective boot, he missed only one game all year. Royal caught 47 passes for 631 yards and a career-high eight touchdowns.

He will turn 28 in May and, as before, is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in 2015.

For the Chargers, there is no downside here.

They wanted Royal back. If they released him for financial reasons, they would've gained $4.5 million in cap room but also absorbed $1.5 million in dead money. Retaining Royal keeps the starting wide receiver corps — Keenan Allen, Vincent Brown and Royal — intact.

It also gives them added cap flexibility from which they already may have benefited.

Last Friday, inside linebacker Donald Butler signed a contract extension. Its structure is complex, a three-year deal with an option for four more years, making the entire pact run for potentially seven years for between $51 million and $58 million in total value, a source said Monday. The deal's first three years are worth nearly $20 million. If the option is activated, the next four are worth $8 million to $9.5 million per season.

Royal may have helped that contract get signed. At least, on Monday, Butler thanked him for it

"Preciate u restructuring urs for me bruh!” Butler said on Twitter.

"Worked out for the both of us," Royal said in response. "Congrats tho u deserve it."

There are other contracts on the Chargers' payroll that could inspire action this month. It's unlikely that all will.

Fullback Le'Ron McClain is due $2.5 million in base salary with a $3.3 million cap number. His release would save $2.5 million.

Guard Jeromey Clary and outside linebacker Jarret Johnson each bring veteran attributes from which the Chargers would have difficulty parting. Clary is considered as tough as it gets, one example in Week 3 when he played through a pair of injuries in Tennessee with San Diego out of reserve linemen. Johnson also leads by example, valued for his gritty, no-nonsense approach.

Their attributes come at a cost.

Clary, in the final year of his deal, carries a $4.55 million base salary and $6.25 million cap number. Johnson has two years left, featuring a $4 million salary in 2014 and $5.5 million cap number.

Cornerback Derek Cox's $4.25 million base salary becomes fully guaranteed on the third day of the league year. His release this month would add $1.65 million in cap room while creating $3.9 million in dead money. If the Chargers use a post-June 1 designation when releasing him, they'd push $2.6 million of that dead money into 2015.

The 2014 NFL salary cap is $133 million. Of it, the Chargers have $7.75 million in dead money tied to tackle Jared Gaither and wide receiver Robert Meachem. Both players were signed in 2012, prior to General Manager Tom Telesco's arrival, and released before the 2013 season.